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Undescended testis (cryptorchidism)

Cryptorchismus · Nesestouplé varle (kryptorchismus)

male only

What it is

A testis stays in the groin or abdomen instead of descending into the scrotum before birth; common in premature boys.

Symptoms & signs

  • Empty or underdeveloped scrotum on one side
  • testis felt in the groin
  • often found at the newborn check

🚩 Get help if…

  • call 112 / 911 now Sudden pain, redness or swelling in the groin or scrotum
  • see a doctor soon A testicle that is still not in the scrotum by 3 months of age
  • see a doctor soon A testicle that could be felt before but is now gone
  • see a doctor soon A lump or change in the testicle in later life

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • Wait until 6 months — some descend on their own
  • orchidopexy between 6 and 18 months
  • laparoscopy for a testis that cannot be felt
  • self-examination later in life (higher cancer risk)

Natural & lifestyle

  • Regular checks in the first months
  • avoid hormone disruptors in pregnancy (smoking, some pesticides)

Emerging & experimental

  • Fertility preservation (freezing testicular tissue)
  • robotic orchidopexy for high testes

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Warm baths and massage to 'coax' the testis down — anecdotal; a retractile testis comes down anyway, a truly undescended one does not anecdotal / traditional
  • Hormone injections (hCG, GnRH) — tested: they work in few boys and may harm germ cells; guidelines advise against them not confirmed in trials

ICD codes